PREVIOUSLY ON WIA NATIONAL NEWS - AUGUST 23 - 2009 Send a message to an alien An Australian science magazine is offering we inhabitants of the third planet from the Sun the chance to send text messages to aliens! Thanks to a special project launched by Cosmos, Earthlings will be soon able to send a free message to the nearest earth-like planet, Gliese 581d. The project, supported by the Australian government, is part of National Science Week. ------------------------------------------- PREVIOUSLY ON WIA NATIONAL NEWS - AUGUST 27 - 2017 Amateur Radio magazine makes good reading in September. On the cover is a cheap magnetic loop antenna and inside an article by our own Shirley VK5YL's OM Jim Tregellas VK5JST on how to build this plastic wonder cheaply. OH and much much more as Barry VK3PV tells us:- "A review of the LD-5 HF QRP Transceiver is from James Hannibal KH2SR ------------------------------------------- PREVIOUSLY ON WIA NATIONAL NEWS - DECEMBER 22 2019 The ACMA has asked, and the WIA has agreed, to put in place a mechanism for seeking credible feedback from all amateur users in Australia. WIA Vice President Aidan Montford says " As a result of this agreement the WIA is pleased to announce the "Future of Amateur Radio" programme. ------------------------------------- 2020 AUGUST 23 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA ---------------------------------------------------------------------* THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK THIS LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN tinyurl.com/WIA-News-Videos ---------------------------------------------------------------------* NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING AUGUST 23 2020 IN OUR 25th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS IS PRESENTED BY ALARA. ACMA Amateur Radio e-bulletin Our communications regulator ACMA is reaching out to we radio amateurs by producing an amateur radio e-bulletin Get the latest news on VK amateur radio issues, changes to regulations, as well as receive invitations to have your say on consultations by subscribing to their dedicated e-bulletin. Sign up today: acma.gov.au/subscribe-our-newsletters IARU harmonization of Digital Band segments Globally. Frequency allocations and amateur radio operating interests vary in different parts of the world, the development of voluntary band plans is a responsibility of the three IARU regional organizations who try and align regional band pans to be harmonious globally. Grant Willis VK5GR as the WIA IARU Region3 representative has been working though the WIA on behalf of the IARU Region 3 Band Plan committee Chairman Sion 9 M 2 CQC Australian and all region 3 Radio Amateurs are encouraged to follow progress through The WIA Website and their respective IARU member websites, all of which can be reached via the following Link iaru.org/ Speaking of the WIA website and all things 'WIA' next its over to WIA Director Phil VK2CPR for more on this topic. Hi, I’m Phil vk2cpr, I would like to talk about the role WIA is playing in the HF Digital Mode Band Plan Review. Because frequency allocations and amateur radio operating interests vary in different parts of the world, the development of band plans, which are, voluntary guidelines on the use of the spectrum available to radio amateurs – is a responsibility of the three IARU regional organisations. Each of the three Regions has a band planning committee to focus on this work. In recent years there have been increased efforts to bring the regional band plans into alignment wherever possible. Final approval of band plan revisions is generally given by the regional conferences of IARU member-societies that are held every three years on a rotating basis. This approach to band planning generally has kept pace with the evolution of amateur radio operating. However, the explosive growth in HF (below 30 MHz) digital modes, particularly FT8, has led to perceived overcrowding of HF digital mode band segments. Accordingly a working group has been formed consisting of representatives of the three regional band planning committees. The WIA fund region 3 representatives to this working group. This is the first time the three Regions have joined together to directly coordinate band planning efforts. The working group has already had fruitful discussions with the WSJT Development Group led by Joe Taylor, K1JT. Additional discussions, including with other HF stakeholders, will be held as part of a fundamental review of the different HF digital modes, and how they can be best categorized and arranged to share the limited spectrum available. The main aim of the working group is to develop solutions that reduce congestion within very popular mode segments while preventing mutual interference between incompatible modes. While the proposed band plan revisions will have to be approved by member-societies in each Region, recent administrative changes mean that the changes can be implemented without having to wait for the regional conferences. Again, Amateurs are encouraged to follow progress through their IARU member-society, that is, the WIA here in region 3. ---------------------------------------------------------------------* INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, RAC, NZART AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE & the World Wide sources of the WIA. NEW ZEALAND NZART AGM and AREC Annual Meeting It is planned they are still going ahead with plans to hold meetings at Wellington over the 4/5/6 September 2020. The NZART AGM will commence at 10:30 am on Saturday 5 September. NZART have had a considerable number register their interest in attending, however for those who can’t they have set up a special ZOOM Conference meeting specifically for members BUT This meeting will be limited to 100 online attendees. At time of coming into the studios New Zealand's current Alert Levels in the Auckland region is Level 3 but Wellington is at Alert Level 2 The New Zealand Cabinet were to review the Alert Levels on Friday 21. UK RSGB General Manager Steve Thomas, M1ACB has thanked all the staff and volunteers who have pulled together to cope with the challenges of the last four months. He highlights the successes worth celebrating - such as helping 1,500 people take their first steps into amateur radio in just 4 months via remote invigilation Foundation exams, as well as opportunities we all have to develop amateur radio in the future. You can also read the editorial online at tinyurl.com/rsgb-success-story. USA The White House has pulled its nomination of an FCC commissioner who has served on the panel since 2013. From our friends at Amateur Radio NewsLine here's Heather Embee KB 3 TZD. The White House has withdrawn its nomination of FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly, who has served on the panel since 2013. O'Rielly has been praised by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai (PIE) for his work on issues related to the 3.5 GHz spectrum and related policies. O'Rielly, who was first appointed to the panel by President Barack Obama, recently spoke out against President Donald Trump for an executive order that would limit social media companies' liability protections. Trump did not give any reason for his withdrawal of the nomination but according to various published reports the White House and others on the political right have said that social media's practice of moderating content is biased against conservative views. Before his nomination was withdrawn, O'Rielly, who like Trump is Republican, would have faced Senate confirmation for a term that ended in 2024. For Amateur Radio NewsLine I'm Heather Embee KB3TZD. Why were our bands a little quiet the second weekend in August? Well it would appear the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo over the August 8 – 9 weekend appears to have been an unmitigated success, so much so that another virtual event will be held next March. “It was far better than we expected,” Virtual Ham Expo chair Eric Guth, 4Z1UG/WA6IGR, told ARRL. “We had over 26,000 registered and over 14,000 on the platform both days.” Eric said event sponsors and exhibitors that he’s heard from so far “are thrilled with the turnout, engagement, and responses that they received.” He said they’re also enthusiastic about the second QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo, set for March 13 – 14, 2021. “Our plan is to offer this twice a year.” PUERTO RICO An auxiliary cable that helps to support a metal platform above the Arecibo Observatory radio telescope’s reflector dish in Puerto Rico snapped in the early morning hours of August 10, causing a 100-foot gash in the reflector dish. Operations at the world-famous observatory have been halted until repairs can be made. When the 3-inch cable fell, it also damaged about a half-dozen panels in the Gregorian Dome above the dish and twisted the platform used to access the dome. The cause of the cable break is not yet clear. The largest single-dish radio telescope in the world for decades, Arecibo was bumped into second place in 2016 by the 5 hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope in China. The Arecibo Observatory Radio Club operates KP 4 AO at the site. --------------------------------------------------------------------* HAM RADIO OPERATIONAL NEWS - IT'S A CONTACT SPORT Who do you call? you call "CQ RADIO ACTIVE" This weekend Aug 22-23 here in VK is the 2Mtr FM QSO PARTY Looking at a post by Tom de Mamiel on the exceptionally well run FaceBook group " Australian Amateur Radio" Tom has let us all in on a great idea by Mike Lewis to drive extra activity this weekend. Just have as many as possible (then add a couple of extra) FM QSO's on 2meters. Just report your total to another FaceBook group called HAM (Amateur)Radio QSO on 2M & 70cm. (AAR) -------------- The 40th Alara Contest is on again on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th. NEXT Weekend Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th start 0600 UTC, finishi 24 hours later at 0559 UTC. We are really looking forward to hearing some young and new YLs in the contest this year and catching up with many amateurs along the way. Some of the Committee will be handing out numbers on HF and Echolink to show their support during the contest. This year we are trialling a Facebook page for spotting YLs. This page is optional for amateurs using Facebook who wish to notify others about YLs who are in the contest. Just enter the YLs callsign, current frequency and mode. This page is now ready to join, just search for Alara Contest in Facebook. YLs cannot spot or encourage others to spot them but it will give other amateurs a chance to easily find and support YLs who are in the contest. The contest rules have been uploaded to the Alara Contest page. For those who don’t have FB and would like a copy of the rules, please email alaracontest@wia.org.au The radio has given us all a way to communicate with Amateurs who are currently in isolation, so YLs let’s carry that spirit into this year’s contest and involve as many as we can. -------------- P.O.C. a new kind of HF contest. A steering committee led by Frank K 4 FMH will run a new international contest on the weekend of October 2nd & 3rd. The aim of the challenge is to create a level playing field for small portable stations against the large contest stations using handicapping algorithms similar to use in golf. Open to all, participants choose their own 8 hour contiguous time window within the 48 hour weekend. Operating portable, contact distance, power level and mode (phone, CW or digital) affect the final score. Details can be found in the text edition of this the WIA National News foxmikehotel.com/challenge/ (dd5lp) OCEANA CONTEST VOICE from 0600 UTC Saturday October 3 to 0600 UTC Sunday October 4 CW from 0600 UTC Saturday October 10 to 0600 UTC Sunday October 11 -------------- All major AUSTRALIAN contests, rules and results, are on the Contest Section of the WIA website. wia.org.au/members/contests/about *********************** DX WINDOW AUSTRALIA. Members of the Wireless Institute of Australia are QRV with special call VI 110 WIA until the end of 2020 to celebrate our 110th anniversary, in fact the world's oldest Amateur Radio Society. Activity is on the HF bands and QSL is via LoTW. -------------- In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, the RSGB has organised a VJ Day amateur radio marathon on the HF bands and 6m. Three special UK callsigns GB 75 PEACE, GB 1945 PE, GB 194 5PJ are on the bands til the 31st of August. The special stations have their own QRZ.com pages with details of the activation schedule. Full details rsgb.org/ve-vj-marathon -------------- Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Korea back in August 1945, members of the Korean Amateur Radio League are active as HL 75 V until the end of August. QSL via 6 K 0 MF. -------------- Listen for special event station 4 A 2 MAX operating from Mexico throughout August honouring the memory of Saint Maximilian Kolbe SP 3 RN. The station can be heard on the HF bands using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL via LoTW. (ARNewsLine) -------------- FINLAND Tony, OH1TD is active again from his summer QTH on Korpo Island, EU-096, until September. QSL via OH1TD either direct or via the bureau. (rsgb) -------------- GREECE QRV as SX 1 AFM from September 1 to 30 celebrating 70 years of the Hellenic Air Force History Museum, the station is on all modes 80 through 6 meters. QSL via qrz.com information. (arrl) This has been the WIA Operational News and a quick reminder of the 40th Alara contest next weekend from Sue VK5AYL contest Manager for Alara. ---------------------------------------------------------------------* WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS ATV (Every pixel tells a story) - arvideonews.com hamradiotube.com youtube.com qdg.org.au tinyurl.com/WIA-News-Videos THAT LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF THIS NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN This is Peter VK3BFG in Melbourne. As reported on the broadcast recently, the Melbourne DATV Repeater VK3RTV is now back on the air. The Amateur Radio Victoria site at Mount View has exceeded expectations in performance. As a celebration, it is planned to hold another International DATV QSO Party. The event will commence on a Friday evening for VK and perhaps UK stations and then on Saturday for VK, US and UK stations. The Australian DATV Repeaters VK3RTS in Sydney and VK5RDC in Port Pirie will also participate. Repeaters in the US will be WR8ATV in Columbus Ohio, W0BTV in Boulder Colorado and through the Californian ATV Network. VK3RTV will be streaming through the British Amateur TV Club’s site at all times. The 2020 DATV QSO party is scheduled for Friday 28th August starting at 1000Z and Saturday 29 th August starting at 0000Z. Net control on Australia will be myself, Peter VK3BFG. Stations can register interest with me by email at pcossins@bigpond.com. 73, and be seeing you, Peter VK3BFG WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FEMALES IN RADIO. How Ria got into amateur radio In a new video, ARRL Director Ria Jairam N 2 RJ talks about how she got started in amateur radio. " audio intensive from youtube.com/watch?v=JynGF-kOzDA " This is the first in what she hopes to be a feature, where Ria will relate about things that have influenced her or others in amateur radio. This will be a casual conversation, sort of like a nice rag chew, the sort we have on the ALARA net of a Monday night. ( 1000 UTC 3.570 MHz ) Ria's hope is to inspire others to get involved and find out more about amateur radio. Watch How Ria got into amateur radio - Ria's shack stories on YouTube. youtube.com/watch?v=JynGF-kOzDA And another reminder to all the YL’s out there that we have the up coming ALARA contest on 29th August. For anybody who is a bit shy to get on air, this an excellent chance to participate, in whatever capacity,in a very friendly, low key and forgiving on air practice. Of course, as an ALARA member you collect extra points. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary@amsat-vk.org Chinese Mars probe Soon after its launch on July 23rd, the Chinese Mars mission Tianwen-1 has been received by AMSAT-DL with its 20m ground station in Germany. Amateur radio observers Paul M 0 EYT and his #hearsat group have been tracking Tianwen-1 since its launch. This not only demonstrates the capabilities of Amateur Radio operators when it comes to deep space missions but also the flexibility and performance of the AMSAT-DL 20m ground station which can be fully operated remotely. The complete story can be seen at: tinyurl.com/ANS-229-Tianwen-1 (ANS) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- IOTA iota-world.org EU-028. Members of the ARI Modena radio club will be active as IA 5 MO from Giglio Island (IIA T002, WLOTA N. 0564, WAIP GR), Italy, between September 3-8th on various HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and the Digital modes. QSL via IK 4 RLM. EU-125. Mike, DG5LAC, is active as OZ/DG5LAC from Romo Island, Denmark, between August 22nd and September 5th on various HF bands using SSB and FT8/FT4. QSL via DG 5 LAC. (SouthGate) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ILLW illw.net/ International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is still going ahead this weekend, the 22nd and 23rd of August. Participation will dependent on local circumstances and government rulings regarding border and national parks closures, social contact and so on. One to try for is the Blackhead Lighthouse Where is it? Well it's about 30 minutes’ drive from Belfast on the Causeway Coastal route. Antrim DX Group (Northern Ireland) are active from Blackhead Lighthouse during ILLW using GB 5 BL this weekend and will be on HF and you can apply for a QSL Card by looking up GB 5 BL up on qrz.com (Southgate/RSGB) --------------------------------------------------------------------* REWIND Propagation as a Matter of Life or Death On May 25, 1928, the airship Dirigible Italia crashed on pack ice northeast of the Svalbard Islands on the return leg of a trip to survey the North Pole with 16 passengers and crew on board. At impact, one person was killed, and the cabin carrying nine people separated from the hydrogen-filled airframe. Six crew members on the dirigible structure were never seen again, after the airship again became airborne. The survivors on the icepack turned to their 5 Watt wireless set, a one-tube Hartley oscillator, to put out a call for help, but it was only after 9 days of trying that they were able to get the attention of a radio amateur 1,900 kilometres away. The recently published article, "The Shipwreck of Airship Dirigible Italia in the 1928 Polar Venture: A Retrospective Analysis of the Ionospheric and Geomagnetic Conditions," provides the gripping historical context and tries to explain why it was so difficult to establish communication for a rescue. Drawing from sources of geophysical data collected at the time, and using modern theories of propagation -- including some directly derived from amateur radio observations -- the authors present data including sunspot count, magnetic flux, and F2 layer height, and take the reader through an analysis of the sky-wave and ground-wave paths. Ultimately, the authors suggest, ground-wave path losses likely exceeded 100 dB, leaving only sky wave as a potential link. In the first few days after the crash, the ionospheric path was impossible at the frequencies being used -- 9.1 and 9.4 MHz -- due to disturbed conditions. It was only after conditions had settled that communication became possible, and it only became reliable when a lower frequency was chosen. Even after communication was established, fifteen RESCUERS were lost in search and recovery operations, including Roald Amundsen, Norway's famed polar explorer. Finally, on July 12, 1928, 48 days after the initial crash, a Russian icebreaker was able to reach and rescue the survivors. (arrl) --------------------------------------------------------------------* 2020 Social Scene Due to the COVID-19 situation, please check these events' direct for up-to-date status information. 2020 VK4 - Central Highlands AGM Emerald, September 25 to 27 (vk4zz) VK4 - Rockhampton Amateur Radio Annual Dinner Sat Nov 21 (tarc) VK4 - TARC Xmas Party - Sun 13th December from 2pm (tarc) VK4 - TARC Xmas Lights Tour - Fri 18th December from 7pm (tarc) 2021 VK4 - TARC Australia Day Long Week Family Radio Camp Thursday afternoon 21st to Tuesday afternoon 26th January at Girl Guides Association of Queensland Campsite and Training Centre Bluewater. (vk4zz) VK2 - WYONG FIELD DAY (tentative) February 28 ( vk4zz) VK - WIA Annual Conference 2021 Hobart VK7 30 April-2nd May (vk7tw) VK - ALARAMEET 2021 Bendigo VK3 October 1 - 4 (vk5yl) VK7 - VK7 biennial HamFest Miena Community Hall (vk7tw) FINAL FINAL Reception Reports WIA News rebroadcasters often give Short Wave Listeners a welcome to the broadcast as they commence call-backs straight after the Local News. Local news follows the National news in all states. It would be great if those SWL's would email their reception reports and location to callbacks@wia.org.au Submitting news items If you would like to submit news items for possible inclusion in the VK1WIA broadcasts, please email your item in text to nationalnews@wia.org.au and don't JUST send url's links or posters, but take the time to pen YOUR contribution. To submit audio email nationalnews@wia.org.au and ask for the current password then read "how to submit items" in the weekly news page on wia.org.au/members/broadcast/contribute/ We would appreciate items certainly no longer than 1.5 minutes in length as we only have a half hour. Remember the sooner you submit material the more the likelihood of it being broadcast in the very next edition of WIA National News. Each item will only be broadcast once, if you want a couple of mentions, please submit different slants to keep your event 'fresh' and always if the news room is to read your item --- write it in the 3rd person. (First if YOU are reading your own item) A reminder when supplying HamFest info we obviously can't plug DEALS from commercial traders "on air", but we at the WIA will put your supporters 'goods' in this text edition "no worries." We cannot give blatant 'plugs' to raffles. vk1wia-broadcasters@lists.wia.org.au ---------------------------------------------------------------------* Oh... and to contact us with your news because If It Matters To You It Matters To Us! Email nationalnews@wia.org.au and for audio wia.org.au click news in member area Please... If you are only submitting text and not audio, NEVER send just links & url's but write your story as you would expect to hear it being read back. Click the links below to download the most recent edition of National News, BUT this is ONLY the backup site! WIANEWS backup thanks to Brendan VK4BLP can be found on wiaq.org.au BACKUPS OF THE BACKUP!! thanks to Tony VK7AX www.vk7ax.id.au/wianews/ wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/ (This is the link to the original text version and original audio on wia site) ===================================================================== WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide. TWITTER twitter.com/VK1WIA Societies and Club News Letter Editors can EXCHANGE a feed prior to the actual broadcast date, e-mail nationalnews@wia.org.au Call-backs follow the RF editions, but also for text readers you may lodge a quick reply to let us know you read it, who knows, you might even get a "cheerio call". Thanks to our dedicated band of broadcast volunteers who utilize their time and equipment in bringing you this weekly broadcast. Who and where are they? wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/ The purpose of "WIANews" is to rapidly provide news of interest to WIA affiliated clubs and active amateurs residing in Australia and the globe. We strongly encourage membership in the Wireless Institute of Australia and participation in the activities of local clubs. Opinions expressed in "WIANews" are those of the writers who submit material and do not necessarily reflect those of the rebroadcasters, nor the National WIA, but IF broadcast, are done so in the spirit in which they were submitted." Material may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form, a credit to WIANews wouldn't go astray... If you would like to see the call-backs reported each broadcast, OR have call-backs to contribute to the National News call back tally then please send through your call-backs to callbacks@wia.org.au How do I join this National News List? (subscribe for an automatic weekly feed.) Email to vk1wia-news-join@lists.wia.org.au from the email account that you wish the emails to go to. How do I leave this National News List? (unsubscribe your weekly feed) Open mail program which sends mail from the address you want to unsubscribe from. Send unsubscribe to the list unsubscribe address vk1wia-news-leave@lists.wia.org.au You will be sent a confirmation mail and must follow the instructions given in that mail to complete the unsubscription. Once your unsubscription has been processed, you will probably receive another message confirming your unsubscription from the list, and at that point you should stop receiving messages. ---------------------------------------------------------------------*